8 An Sgùrr

INNER HEBRIDES

ON THE ISOLATED ISLE OF EIGG, An Sgùrr watches over a wild and windswept landscape. Formed more than 58 million years ago – when a volcanic eruption sent lava spilling into a deep river valley – this pitchstone peak is the largest of its kind in Europe. While it might appear scarily steep at a glance, the scramble to the summit isn’t a strenuous one. Follow a well-marked path, past the red-roofed farmhouse at Galmisdale and an abandoned settlement at Grulin, to the top for sprawling views over lonely lochs and out to the distant pinnacles of Skye (walkhighlands.co.uk).